Lily's First Year
by ShimmeringLily
Summary: The story starts out with Lily at home with Petunia, Severus, and her parents. Read to find out how her first year turns out, how she meets James Potter, and what Hogwarts is like for her. Note: this is going to focus on Lily/Severus...will become LJ
1. Prologue

"Lily, come inside!!" Lily popped her head up from the bush she was crouching behind when her mother called her name.

"I SEE YOU!!!" screeched her sister, Petunia.

"Petunia, game's off, mom needs me."

"Wanna bet?" Petunia's eyes flashed in excitement as Lily stood up straight. Petunia was directly between Lily and the house. She would have to be very fast to make it past Petunia. Very fast indeed. She was about to take off running, when Severus appeared at her side.

He leaned toward her and whispered, "She can't catch both of us, Lils."

Lily smiled menacingly at Petunia and then muttered, "Okay" to Severus. He took off running, to the left of where Petunia was standing. Lily followed close behind him, and just when Petunia began to move toward the two of them, she changed directions. Before she knew it, she had tumbled into the house, and lay on the kitchen floor laughing. A few moments later, Severus and Petunia had joined her. Petunia and Lily were merely a heap of giggles, while Severus watched his best friends in amusement and curiosity. Lily had moved fast outside; perhaps even too fast. For a moment he thought she had…

Severus shook his head to clear it—he was imagining things; no one had ever disapparated before going off to school, aside from Lord Voldemort. He ran a hand through his hair, which he had left thoroughly unmanaged when he had seen Lily and Petunia playing in the backyard. Granted, he and Lily were 11, and Petunia was 12, but they enjoyed goofing off in childish ways.

Lily rolled her head to the side so she could peer at where Severus was sitting on the kitchen floor, "When did you come over, Sev? I didn't even see you come outside."

"Oh you know how he likes to sneak around and surprise us, Lily! Don't be so shocked." Petunia sniffed and then stood up and walked to the kitchen counter, "I think it's time for some cookies and milk." Petunia busied herself pouring glasses of milk, while Lily and Severus made their way to the plate of cookies on the counter.

"Severus, are you sure you have to go away to school this fall? Things will be so boring without you around." Lily frowned at him, as she had been doing often for the past few weeks. She wasn't pouting; she genuinely didn't want him leaving. The three of them had been inseparable ever since Severus had moved in next door when he was 8.

"Yeah…I'm going to a…special school, Lils. I told you that already." He shrugged, and grabbed a cookie off of the plate.

"You haven't told us anything about it, though! We don't even know where you'll be." Lily got a curious look on her face, as if excited to be gleaning new information.

Severus stiffened as Lily's mom strode into the kitchen, in a white peasant blouse and tight, colored pants. She prattled on for a moment, informing Lily that she and her father were going out, and Lily was to obey Petunia. Mrs. Evans gave Severus one sidelong glance before scurrying out of the room. She was a kind woman, but she'd never liked the girls being friends with Severus. Lily acted as if nothing had happened, and turned back to Severus.

"Well? Where are you going?"

"I'm not sure. No one really knows where it is."

Petunia rolled her eyes, and the three of them moved to sit in the living room with their cookies and milk.

"What do you mean 'no one knows'? Certainly _someone_ knows where you're going. Mum and Dad would never let me go to school if they didn't know where it was." Lily continued to pester him.

Severus rolled his eyes and stuffed his mouth full of cookie. They'd been prying for a few weeks now, and even though he wasn't _supposed_ to tell Muggles, it couldn't hurt to tell Lily.

"Fine, I'll tell you what I know, but you have to promise not to tell anyone. Not even your parents."

Petunia snorted loudly, "As if this is even real. You'll show up at school on the first day, just like the rest of us, Snape." She didn't even bother sitting down in the living room, but instead moved toward the stairs, "I'm going to go read in my room. Yell when you want to eat, Lily."

Lily completed ignored Petunia, and began to play with her auburn hair, while staying perfectly focused on Severus, "Please tell me?"

"It would be easier to show you." Severus waved his hand toward Petunia's cat, Cynthia, who was reclining in the nearest chair. The cat slowly began to rise, and then drifted through the air to Lily's lap. She didn't react in the way he thought she would—she didn't recoil or flinch, she didn't glare at him or ask questions. She merely petted the cat and gave him a somewhat confused look.

"Lily, my parents and I…are magical. I'm a wizard, and my dad is a wizard too. My mom is a witch. I'm going to a school called Hogwarts." Lily's eyes widened at the word 'school', but still said nothing.

"I'm going to get a wand, and learn how to cast spells and make potions. I'll learn how to travel between two places in an instant, and I'll learn about shielding myself and how to change teacups into rats." A rare smile appeared across his face as he continued.

Lily sat and observed her friend. He was wearing his usual large stained t-shirt, and his jeans were too short for him; he was fairly small for his age, and his hair was long and uncut. Today it wasn't as oily, though. She knew Petunia would mumble something about him making up a make-believe world because he wanted to get away from his father, but she didn't think that was true. Yes, Tobias Snape was a horrid man, and he treated Severus horribly, but Sev wasn't delusional. Besides, she had seen him do things before, out of the corner of her eye. Suddenly a few of his words drew her attention.

"Lily…here's the thing. I think you might be a witch."

Her hands began to shake, and she stared at him in a panic, "Why do you think that?"

"Close your eyes, Lily." She cautiously closed her eyes, and felt him lift her hand, and point it toward something. "Think about something that makes you angry."

"Okay…"she spoke softly, uncertainly. It wasn't like her at all. Severus worried that he was scaring her.

"Really think about it, Lil. Let it make you angry."

He let go of her hand, and she focused on the time her mother had made her take a family picture when she was sick this summer. The anger began to seep through her, and she could hear herself shouting at her mother. Suddenly a sharp crack sounded through the room. Lily Evans opened her eyes to see the picture frame across the wall shattered, and the family photo she had been thinking about was lying uselessly on the floor. Lily's hand was pointed directly toward it, and her finger was slightly shaking.

"How did you know that's what I would think about?"

Severus just shrugged, his eyes wide, "I thought so. You'll be getting a letter soon, Lily."

"A letter? From whom?"

"From Professor Dippet. He's…"

Before he could continue, Petunia rushed into the room, wailing loudly, "What did you two do? Mother will have a fit!" She sighed dramatically, and then turned to Severus, "I think you should go, Sev. See you tomorrow?"

Severus nodded toward Petunia, and then rushed out the door.

"What happened, Lily?"

Lily didn't respond—she walked in a daze up to her room, and locked her door. There would be many times she would look back on that one action, and wish that she could take it back, but it was the only way she knew to respond. However, it was that moment that began the rift between Lily and Petunia. From that day on, they would cease to be best friends, and begin to be sisters. They would become sisters who fought and screamed, instead of sisters who giggled and chased each other around the house and yard.


	2. Chapter 1

"Lily, please open the door? Mom and dad are getting worried, and they think I did something to you." Petunia's concerned voice called through the locked door.

Lily merely re-situated herself on her bed, and kept reading Victor Hugo's Les Miserables, as Petunia kept talking. It was the afternoon of the next day, and Lily had been surviving on a leftover bag of jolly ranchers and a few spare bottles of water. She didn't want to leave her room and try to explain what had happened. Severus had come to the front door twice, and had thrown pebbles at her window three times since last night. Petunia was coming to her door every half an hour, at least, trying to convince Lily to let her in. She knew her parents were mad, and that Severus felt bad, and that Petunia was worried, but Lily was scared out of her mind, and for once, she was going to be more concerned about herself than everyone else.

She heard another stone hit the window, but ignored it. Getting her letter soon. A letter. To a school for witches and wizards, so she could learn strange things. That wasn't really what scared her; in fact, magic was an exciting thing. She was afraid of the unknown, afraid of leaving her parents, and afraid of herself. She'd shattered a picture! What if she couldn't learn to control her powers? Lily dropped Les Miserables on the floor and hugged the nearest pillow closer. She'd just have to buck up and do it. The tapping on the glass continued, much like Petunia's concerned voice. Lily rose and began to storm over to the window, a speech was forming in her head for Severus, but the sight at her window stopped her dead in her tracks.

A small tawny owl was fluttering around the glass, tapping its beak on the window again and again. Lily rushed over, saddened to see the owl hitting itself, and she pulled the window open. The owl flew in, landed on her bed, and held up its leg. It was then that Lily spied the roll of paper attached to the owl's leg. Her heart began to race, but she forced herself toward the owl, and untied the parchment.

It fell onto her lap and unrolled:

_Lily Evans_

_The bed in the smallest bedroom_

_64 Spinner's End_

_Dear Ms. Evans,_

_ You have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Attached you will find a list of the things you will need for your upcoming school year, as well as instructions for your parents to follow about your impending trip to Diagon Alley. Term begins September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31._

_ Yours Truly._

_Professor Dippet_

_ Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

Lily held the letter with trembling hands, and walked to her door. She opened the door, glided right past her babbling sister, and kept walking until she reached the entrance to her father's study. It was only then that she looked up.

"Lily? What's wrong?"

Lily walked to her father and laid the letter on his desk. He read it quickly, skimmed over the following pages, and then looked up at her.

"Do you think this is real?"

"Severus is…Severus said he…Oh Daddy!"

She found herself hugging her father tightly, excitement building slowly. Her mother walked into the study, with a hysterical Petunia behind her, and Lily spun away from her father. Before she was aware of herself, she had begun to babble, telling them what had happened with Severus, and about the letter. Her mother's eyes glowed and her father looked incredibly proud, but Petunia looked put out.

"Where's my letter, then? We're sisters! We should both have gotten one." Petunia frowned at Lily, who looked dejectedly to the floor.

"I want you to come, Tunia. I don't know where your letter is, though."

"I think we need to have a talk with Severus, Lily." Her father spoke in a hushed voice, as her mother nodded along, "And perhaps you could try and show us what you did with the picture frame?"

Lily pointed her hand toward a picture on the wall of Petunia and herself when they were very young, and in the bath, and let the excitement flood her. She supposed that any strong emotion worked—as long as it was very strong. Sure enough, in just a few moments, the picture frame shattered and fell off the wall.

Her parents both smiled and hurried to embrace her.

"We don't know what this means, really, Lily, but we're excited for you." Her mother smiled down at her, and her father beamed.

Behind the smiling trio, a horse-faced girl sunk back into the shadows, tears filling her eyes. Her best friend was leaving her for a stupid school? To become some sort of a…a witch? How dare she! How _dare_ she!! Petunia Evans raced out of the room and out the door. It was on that evening that she met a young Vernon Dursley on the playground, and they became friends. After all, she needed someone.


	3. Chapter 2

Lily Evans trailed a few steps behind her parents in Diagon Alley, staring at the wizarding store signs. They had first entered the Leaky Cauldron, which, needless to say, had been quite the experience. After finally entering Diagon Alley, they passed the cauldron shop, the Apothecary, Eeylop's Owl Emporium, Quality Quidditch Supplies, whatever Quidditch was, the Magical Instruments store, and the Stationery Store. It was then that Lily first set her eyes on what would soon become her favorite store in Diagon Alley—Flourish and Blotts.

"Mum!" Lily let out a small shout of delight when she saw the book store, "Oh, please, mum, can't you and daddy go get the money by yourselves and let me stay in there?" She pointed toward the book store.

"Lily…" her mother started off quietly, seeming concerned, but where her mother faltered, her father jumped in to save the day.

"She has a point, you know. We've been getting money by ourselves our entire life. Why don't we head on in there and let her mingle with the books. It can't hurt her to start learning now!" Her father's head bobbed and he winked at Lily with his emerald eyes—she got those from him, as well as her auburn hair and love for books.

"Alright…I suppose you're right, dear." Lily's mother rounded on her fiercely, "Stay _in _the store. Do _not_ leave for any reasons. Don't talk to strangers, and if you're confused about something, ask the clerk."

"Yes, mum."

"If you desperately need us for something, you are to leave the store and run straight toward…" she paused, realizing she didn't know where Gringotts, the wizarding bank, was, "why don't you just _not _need us dear. Just stay in the store."

Lily nodded, and then took off for the store before her mom could say another word to her. She slowed once she came to the entrance of the book store, and then stepped carefully inside. At once she was overwhelmed by the smell of books—not necessarily a musty smell, just…the smell of books. Lily had never quite been able to put her finger on it. After the brief interlude in the doorway, she proceeded straight to the back of the store—it was less likely that there would be people back there—and chose an aisle entitled "Potion Books".

She let the tips of her fingers trail across the books as she walked past them, skimming the titles until one caught her eye. It was entitled, "Ignatia Wildsmith and the Story of Inventing Floo Powder". Lily plucked the book off the shelf, and sat down on the floor. She opened the book to the first page, and began to read to herself.

"In 1227 Ignatia Wildsmith was born to parents Milandra and Winmark Wildsmith. Her parents raised her in an unusual setting—her father was a potionsmaster at Hogwarts, and so, she was raised on the school grounds and at local Hogsmeade. This undoubtedly led to her desire to become a potionist, especially as she sat in on many of her father's classes over the years."

Lilly read through the first two chapters, when two shouting voices nearby jarred her from the pages.

"Don't you DARE walk away from me, Sirius Black! I don't want you hanging out with riff raff like the Potters—I don't care if they ARE purebloods. YOUNG MAN! You come back here this instant! If you don't turn around, I won't give you a penny for your schooling, and _then_ where will you be? SIRIUS!" the voice was a woman's—high-pitched and wailing. Lilly heard footsteps above, and realized the woman must be above her, on the second level of the store. The footsteps thundered down the stairs, and then squeaked in her direction. She clutched the book close to her chest, and was about to rise and run out of the aisle when a very handsome boy appeared at the end of the aisle. He spotted her and walked toward her, in a proud sauntering movement. The boy with black hair and deep gray eyes sat down next to her and offered a hand.

"Hi. My name's Sirius. Are you going to Hogwarts this year?"

Lilly shook his hand, but kept a rigid posture, "Yes, I am."

"So am I. I'm excited to be going…but I hope I don't end up in Slytherin, you know? It's the worst house there is." He spied the book in her lap, and picked it up, peering at the cover, "What are you reading about her for? Almost everyone knows her story…" Sirius paused and then looked over Lilly again, "You're a muggle-born, aren't you?"

"A…a what?"

"Your parents aren't magic, are they?"

"No. I'm the first in my family."

"I've never met a muggle-born before. What's your name?"

"Lily. Lily Evans."

Sirius smiled and closed the book, shoving it up on a shelf, "Well, Lily Evans, I promise you won't need that book at Hogwarts. If you ever have any questions, you can ask me or James. Oi, speaking of Potter…have you seen a messy haired kid come through here?"

"Sorry, no."

"I'm sure he's here somewhere. Why don't you come with me to find him? We can show you around Diagon Alley, if you want."

"Thanks, but I'm supposed to wait here for my mum…"

"Ahh, but what does your mum know about Diagon Alley?" As if on cue, the shrieks of the woman upstairs began again, "See? Even _my_ mum doesn't know anything."

A laugh from Lily's other side caught her off guard, and she jumped. A boy had suddenly appeared there, with a weird cloak in his hand.

"James! Where'd you get that?!" Sirius' mouth dropped open, and Lilly stared confusedly at the pair, who were both immediately on their feet, talking about invisibility and sneaking out of the castle. After a few minutes of excited chatter, James turned toward Lily.

"You really should come with us, Evans." He ran a hand through his messy hair, "We'll show you what Diagon Alley is all about. Besides, you need to meet Remus."

"He's here, then? I hadn't seen him yet." Sirius elbowed James sharply, and James shot him a quick glance, but returned his gaze to Lily.

"Yeah, he's here. Come on, Evans." James gave her a little smile.

"No thank you. I need to wait here for my mother. Perhaps I'll see you boys around, though." Lily stood up quickly and marched her small 11-year-old self past them. She could hear Sirius laughing about something, but she didn't really care. It was almost as if that James boy was flirting with her—and she didn't like that one bit. She was going to Hogwarts to study, not flirt with boys.

Lily walked up to the entrance of the store, and found the sales clerk, "Hello, I'm a—"

"A first year at Hogwarts, I suppose, hm? We've had dozens of you in today. I'll get your pile of books and then you should be set. Will your parents be coming in to pay for them?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well, you can have a seat right up here, and look through the books as I get them for you, then. We'll make things easy for your parents, alright?"

"Thank you, sir."

The tall man in green robes patted her head and whirled into the aisles, pulling books from here and there. She watched him scurry away, and then began peering at the books as he dropped them in her lap. When the final book fell into her arms, she looked up to find the clerk watching her in amusement.

"You're a muggle-born, aren't you?"

"Y-yes, sir."

"So am I," the clerk pulled out his wand with a smile on his face, and waved it toward a nearby chair. It slid across the wooden floor and came to a stop by Lily's chair, "If you like, I'll give you the basics of the wizarding world. I wish someone would have talked to me before I went off to Hogwarts."

Lily smiled at the man and nodded anxiously.

"Alright then, miss…."

"Evans. Lily Evans."

"It's nice to meet you, Miss Lily. My name is Caradoc. Caradoc Dearborn, that is." Caradoc waved his wand again, and another book came spinning toward the pair. It landed gracefully in his hand, and Lily spied the title before he whipped the book open—Hogwarts, A History.


End file.
